Woman helps teens afford going to prom

A Valley woman has opened her heart and her closet to make sure dozens of girls don't miss out on prom magic.

Seven years ago, Judy North turned a closet at her home into a dressing room for families who can't afford to buy a dress for the prom, much less everything that goes with it.

"My goal was to make this girl feel like a princess on her prom night," North said. "The person that she is inside that she doesn't see."

North said she gets referrals from schools all over the Valley. For most, she loans the outfits with a simple promise that the girls will bring them back.

But for a special few who have been excelling at school despite difficult circumstances at home, North sponsors them with a shopping trip.

"Oh my gracious," North said. "I'm just so glad that I am a part of it. The blessings to me are far greater than they are for them. To see these girls that wouldn't have had (the opportunity), don't have any self-esteem at all and feel that they're worth something."

North often pays out of her own pocket, enlisting friends when she can to spring for students of their own.

Jane Rogers has donated dresses in the past but this year she had something grander in mind for her co-worker and friend.

"Judy, you do a wonderful thing every year around this time," Rogers said. "You open your home for girls to come and get a dress, and feel special. Because of that and everything you do, I want to pay it forward to you and on behalf of CBS 5, I'm able to give you $500 for your cause."

To make prom night that much more memorable, North provides photos and special cards that capture the beauty only happiness can bring.

Many of the girls North has helped have gone on to great success in college. One of them, who didn't think she would be able to go to prom, ended up being voted prom queen.